Ms Henderson said her baby son Coby (pictured together with the tot’s dad Brett Mate) turned ‘really blue’ during his birth and she feared for his life

She had been struck down with bacterial infection Strep B during her pregnancy, which is usually harmless to an unborn baby.

But, her son contracted the infection in the womb and it quickly developed into sepsis and pneumonia – conditions that are life-threatening for a baby.

Ms Henderson said Coby turned “really blue” during his birth and she feared for his life – but has now praised quick-thinking staff at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary who kicked into action to save him.

She said if it wasn’t for medics deciding to screen for the condition in the first place, baby Coby might not be here today.

She said: “I had a normal pregnancy, but at about 32 weeks I developed pains and cramps in my lower pelvis.

“They tested me for urine infections, but the swabs came back saying I had Strep B, so I was given antibiotics to stop it spreading further.”

Ms Henderson said she continued with her pregnancy after being diagnosed with the bacterial infection but “started feeling really poorly”.

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She was also suffering from Hyperemesis, a complication which causes severe nausea and sickness, so medics decided to induce her before her due date.

The mother-of-three said: “They induced me early and gave me two sets of antibiotics to try and prevent Coby getting an infection.

“Everything was going fine, then he was born and placed on my chest. I knew immediately something was wrong.

“He was making grunting noises and was really blue. I said to the midwife that I thought something was wrong and they took him away straight away.

“They acted so quickly – if I wasn’t in the RVI, he probably wouldn’t have made it.”

Staff quickly realised Coby had contracted Strep B and that it had developed into sepsis and pneumonia.

He was taken to intensive care where doctors looked after him as he battled the condition.

Ms Henderson has praised staff at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary who kicked into action to save her little boy – who has now made a full recovery

Ms Henderson, who lives with her partner and Coby’s dad, Brett Mate, 41, said: “The hospital said to get family to come and meet him if they wanted to. We didn’t know if we would ever be taking him home.

“It was four days before I could even hold him because of all the tubes and ventilator. It was so difficult and so frightening.

“I got my two other children, Kurt, six, and Flynn, four, to come to the hospital. I wanted them to understand Coby was poorly.

“We were all really concerned. We were told he might not make it. Kurt asked if he was going to die – we couldn’t really say no.

“They both knew we were upset. You try and hide it but they pick up on it.”

Eventually, Coby recovered enough to be taken off the full ventilator and gently weaned off breathing support.

He was taken out of intensive care and placed on a ward to ensure he could feed properly before being allowed home.